After this success the army encamped, and the Egyptian peasantry brought a supply of sheep, goats, poultry, and eggs. On the 18th of March, when a great part of the regiment had left the camp to water the horses, information arrived of the approach of a reconnoitring party, and Lieut.-Colonel Archdall collected sixty men, with whom he advanced to meet the enemy, taking also a piquet of twenty men. After proceeding about three miles, he met one hundred and fifty French hussars and infantry, under General D'Estin, and, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, he instantly detached Lieutenant Levingston with twelve men to attack the left flank of the French hussars, while he charged the front with the main body. Dashing furiously upon his opponents, Colonel Archdall broke the French infantry at the first onset; their cavalry instantly fled, and the British troopers pursued, killing and wounding several, but the main body of the French hussars, being better mounted than the British, escaped. The precaution of securing the French infantry had been, inconsiderately, omitted, and when the troopers returned from the pursuit, they were fired upon by the foot from behind a sandhill, which occasioned some loss, and, finally, the French infantry effected their retreat. The Twelfth Light Dragoons had five horses killed; Lieut.-Colonel Archdall, and one serjeant wounded; Captain the Honorable Pierce Butler, Cornet Earle Lindsay Daniel, and seven men, who had been most eager in the pursuit, were intercepted in their return, and made prisoners.
Lieut.-Colonel Archdall lost his arm, and the command of the Twelfth Dragoons devolved on Lieut.-Colonel Robert Browne.
On the 21st of March the British repulsed an attack of the French on their position; but they had to lament the loss of Sir Ralph Abercromby, who was mortally wounded. The loss of the Twelfth Light Dragoons was limited to seven men wounded.
From the vicinity of Alexandria the regiment afterwards traversed the country to Rosetta, and advanced from thence along the banks of the Nile, taking part in the operations by which the French were forced to quit their fortified post at Rahmanie, where the Twelfth lost several men and horses.
While possession was being taken of the fort of Rahmanie, Lieutenant Drake and thirty men of the regiment went out to water their horses, and hearing a firing at a distance, they proceeded to the spot, and found fifty men of the Twenty-second French Dragoons skirmishing with a party of Arabs. The Twelfth advanced with the most determined gallantry, but at the moment when they were about to charge, the French captain held up a white handkerchief, and agreed to surrender. An aide-de-camp, with despatches, was also made prisoner on this occasion.
From Rahmanie, the army advanced along the banks of the Nile towards Cairo, and arrived on the 16th of May at Algam and Nadir. On the following morning some Bedouin Arabs arrived at Colonel Browne's tent with information that a body of French were in the Lybian Desert; the colonel sent them to head-quarters, and immediately despatched Lieutenant Francis Raynes with a small detachment into the desert; also ordered the light artillery and cavalry to feed and water their horses, and be ready to move at a moment's notice: Lieutenant Catson was afterwards sent out with another small detachment to keep up the communication with the first. Soon afterwards Brigadier-General Doyle was directed to enter the desert with his brigade of infantry,—the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Light Dragoons (two hundred and fifty men) and some artillery. At the same time Colonel Abercromby and Major Wilson galloped forward to find the enemy. After proceeding some distance at a brisk trot the Light Dragoons came in sight of the French column, which had been skirmishing with the Arabs. The enemy was very superior in numbers; the British artillery was some distance in the rear, and the infantry was not in sight; but Major Wilson advanced with a white handkerchief on the point of his sword, and proposed to the French commander, Colonel Cavalier, to surrender on condition of being sent to France, and the officers to retain their private property. This was at first refused, but Colonel Browne forming the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Light Dragoons rank-entire, with extended files, they presented a formidable appearance; and the French officers and soldiers, being weary of Egypt, and desirous of returning to France, surrendered. This proved to be a valuable French convoy of
- 28 officers.
- 570 rank and file,
- 1 stand of colours,
- 1 light four-pounder,
- 300 horses and dromedaries, and
- 500 camels.
One hundred and twenty men of Bonaparte's famous dromedary corps were among the prisoners, and presented a grand and novel appearance; and the horses and camels formed a valuable acquisition to the British army.
Brigadier-General (afterwards Sir John) Doyle expressed, in a letter to Colonel Browne, his approbation of the excellent conduct of the Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Light Dragoons, adding,—"With such troops I shall always feel a pride to serve; and at their head, be content to fall, being convinced it must be with honor." When this officer received supporters to his arms, he chose, as one of them, a light dragoon of the Twelfth, holding the French color taken with the convoy.
The army, continuing to advance, arrived, on the 8th of June, near the Pyramids, where it halted several days, and subsequently advanced to Cairo, and invested the city; the Twelfth Light Dragoons being posted on the left of the river. In a few days the French surrendered the capital of Egypt, which added additional lustre to the British arms, and the brave soldiers, whose skill and valor gained these honors, were rewarded with the approbation of their Sovereign, and the thanks of Parliament.